Chapter Thirty-One: Still Earning Money by Mining

He chose a spacious spot and summoned the Guardian anti-aircraft machine gun, switched it to unmanned mode, scanned with radar to capture the flight parameters of the mutant crows, and designated them as hostile forces. With that, Lin Lei’s task was complete.

Now, it was time for the anti-aircraft machine gun to perform. Any mutant crow within a radius of 4,500 meters became its hunting target.

A metallic storm spat blue flames skyward; the gathered mutant crows barely had time to react before a gap was torn open among them. Feathers, blood, and corpses fell like rain. The flock erupted in chaos—some accelerated upward, trying to escape the barrage, while others, seeing the anti-aircraft gun in an open location, attempted a rapid dive to neutralize this point of fire.

The disorder only increased their casualties. The mutant crows underestimated the Guardian’s power; hundreds charged at once, yet none managed to come within five hundred meters of the machine gun.

It was worth noting that the Guardian intelligent anti-aircraft machine gun’s primary function was to intercept enemy drone swarms. Even those massive swarms numbering in the tens of thousands could be handled efficiently with just a trio of Guardians.

A mere thousand oversized, slow, and erratic mutant crows posed no threat at all.

The anti-aircraft battle dragged on intermittently for twenty minutes before finally ending. The mutant crows left behind over three hundred corpses and fled in panic. Lin Lei exchanged for a mining machine and could finally mine in peace.

Because the black iron ore was scattered and difficult to excavate, it took about an hour and a half to extract a truckload of raw ore.

The first truckload weighed about thirty-two tons, sealed in a small container. Lin Lei only needed to press his hand to the container and silently recite "collect" to store both the ore and the container into the material storage space.

With time to spare, Lin Lei gathered dry branches and lit a bonfire. He exchanged for a marinated lamb leg and a case of beer from the system, and at the foot of the mountain, started a barbecue party.

"Serves the host right for being single—invites girls to eat instant noodles, but treats himself to roasted lamb leg," the system sneered.

"You complain even when I’m giving you business? Do you want to keep your shop running or not?" Lin Lei retorted. "And for one lamb leg, you charge me a contribution point. Isn’t that a bit too greedy?"

"In the material exchange zone, the minimum is one contribution point. Besides, this system gifted you a case of beer," the system replied.

"If only we were on Earth—when I get back, I’ll buy every ingredient I need and see how you squeeze money out of me then," Lin Lei threatened.

---

"The material storage zone lacks preservation functions; it’s not advisable to store fresh ingredients," the system prompted.

The system’s storage zone was a limitless warehouse, able to hold both dead and live items. Yet fresh food would spoil after a few days, just as it did outside.

"You think you’ve beaten me with that? Ever heard of a refrigerator?" Lin Lei countered.

In the exchange zone, a nuclear-powered refrigerator cost just one contribution point, with enormous capacity—freezing hundreds of pounds of meat was no problem.

"Only fresh ingredients are premium. Frozen food is soulless!" The system tried to dissuade Lin Lei. "Moreover, the lamb leg provided is of exceptional value—the marinating spices are considered spiritual-grade ingredients even in the cultivation world. Even for ordinary people, long-term consumption helps regulate the body, warding off illness and promoting longevity."

"That impressive?" Lin Lei was taken aback.

He began to wonder if he should switch all his meals to such spiritual-grade foods. After all, one meal cost only two hundred thousand (one contribution point).

Soon, the lamb leg was roasted to a golden hue, its rich aroma wafting temptingly. Lin Lei, unable to wait, bit into it straight from the grill.

"Hot, hot—ah!" He cried out at the heat, but couldn’t bear to spit it out, so he cooled it with quick breaths as he chewed.

The meat was crispy on the outside and tender within, each bite bursting with juices. The special marinade’s fragrance teased his taste buds, making it impossible to stop.

"Who knew I could make something so delicious!" Lin Lei muttered indistinctly, mouth full.

He forgot that the system provided the ingredients and the marinade was already prepared—anyone could achieve such flavor so long as they didn’t burn it.

Alternating beer and meat, Lin Lei ate until sweat poured down his face.

"Wait... why am I feeling so hot? System, you didn’t drug me, did you?" Halfway through, Lin Lei felt something was off. This was lamb, not kidney—could it really have such an invigorating effect?

---

He vaguely remembered that when he first arrived in this world, the system had recommended a realistic doll. Was this some scheme to trap him into a second purchase? If so... what style should he choose?

"You’re overthinking it," the system replied. "As I said, this food regulates the body. You’ve been reclusive and inactive for too long, so the effects are pronounced. Your excessive sweating and heat are just your body burning excess fat. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces strain and is a basic measure of health."

Previously, even with the aid of the Lone Traveler exoskeleton and energy boosters, Lin Lei could barely fight zombies for twenty minutes before exhaustion set in—his physical fitness was clearly lacking.

"So that’s it," Lin Lei sighed in relief, though he wasn’t sure if it was disappointment or something else.

A roast lamb leg that tasted delicious and helped with weight loss—how could Lin Lei bear to waste it? He gnawed it clean, even sucking the bones several times. Anything left would only be fit for a dog to chew.

After the meal, Lin Lei was drenched as if pulled from water, even his underwear soaked. Unfortunately, he was fully geared and had arrived in haste without spare clothes, so he could only endure.

Luckily, the second truckload of raw ore arrived in time to distract him; otherwise, he’d have to spend contribution points on clothes.

The second load was just over thirty-seven tons. Combined with the first, it was nearly seventy.

"System, recycle sixty tons of black iron ore," he ordered. The truck’s containers numbered only three; he needed to clear space for more.

At his command, the ore in the first container vanished, and more than half of the second was gone as well. Lin Lei’s total contribution points increased by 285.

As for the hundreds of mutant crows killed earlier, their total recycling value couldn’t even cover the Guardian’s ammunition, so he didn’t bother to mention it.

"Isn’t it nice? Drinking beer, eating barbecue, and earning over three hundred contribution points in three hours. Fighting all day only nets the same. Clearly, my future focus should be on mining resources," Lin Lei decided, resolving to become a mine owner from now on.